Gloucester Supervisors To Promote Track

GLOUCESTER — County residents may not cast a vote for horse racing until November, but in the meantime the Board of Supervisors will be encouraging them to approve the measure.

The supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to support building a horse racing track in the county and to encourage voters to approve the referendum needed to build it.

Supervisor Benjamin F. Seawell Jr. voted against the resolution, saying that if anyone was going to promote racing in the county it should be the special racing committee the board appointed and not the supervisors themselves.

That committee has already collected the signatures needed to get a referendum on racing. A circuit court judge now must set the voting date.

County Attorney Michael T. Soberick told the board that the racing committee wants to wait until the November General Election to put the question before the voters to give it time to drum up support for racing.

County officials said they also will schedule public forums - probably in late summer or early fall - to discuss the pros and cons of racing in the county.

The county also will contact surrounding communities, including Mathews and Middlesex, to alert them to Gloucester's hopes of getting a racetrack and the economic implications that could have for them.

Gloucester is one of several counties around the state trying to attract a track since the state's voters approved pari-mutuel betting last November.

George Turner, pastor of Newington Baptist Church, questioned whether the board should be promoting racing and whether racing is appropriate for the county.

Turner, who said he was speaking for himself and not his church, disputed claims that the track would be an economic boon by creating new jobs, expanding the tax base and attracting new industries. Some tracks around the country are closing because of a lack of support, he said.

Also, a track could increase traffic on already congested roads, increase a variety of crimes and act as a "possible attraction for organized crime," he said. It could require county and state police to increase their staffs to cope, he said.

"I'm not convinced it will help this county economically," Turner said.

Supervisor George C. Sterling disagreed.

"I think we ought to look at it for the economic impact it will have in the county and the good it can do for the county, not for these one or two undesirable things," he said.

Sterling said he also hopes other county organizations - including the Industrial Development Authority and Chamber of Commerce - will help promote the track. "It should be a team effort," he said.

Other supervisors supported at least putting the question before voters.

"The board must think positively," Supervisor William E. Belvin said.

"We owe it to our citizens and the county to do what we can to get it out to the citizens and let them make the choice."